In general, next-generation networks (e.g., synchronous optical network (SONET)/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) networks) comprise various combinations of technologies, such as virtual concatenation (VCAT), generic frame processing (GFP), and the like. In VCAT, service signals to be transported over a transport technology (e.g., SONET/SDH) are inversely multiplexed onto a set of individual transport signals. The individual transport signals are independently transported over the network to a far-end network element which recovers the service signal from the transport signals. In VCAT, a virtual concatenation group (VCG) comprises a set of transport signals used to transport a service signal, and a VCG member comprises an individual transport signal from the set of transport signals.
In general, network elements supporting VCAT capabilities comprise units operable for supporting 1-64 VCGs (where each VCG comprises 1-256 VCG members). Furthermore, such network elements typically support 8-32 such units, thereby enabling a network element to support in excess of 2000 VCGs. In existing network elements, assignment of VCG members to VCGs is performed manually (i.e., by manual configuration). Furthermore, the provisioning must be performed consistently at both the originating end and the terminating end of a VCG in order to transport a service signal (i.e., inconsistent VCG configurations result in at least a partial loss of capacity available for transport of the service signal).
Unfortunately, as the number of VCGs (and, therefore, the number of VCG members) supported by network elements continues to grow, problems associated with manual VCG member assignments (e.g., increased effort, increased error probabilities, and the like) are exacerbated. Furthermore, such VCG member assignment problems are reencountered during service modifications, thereby resulting in increased operational cost, decreased network reliability, and the like.